There are two kinds of survivalist in this world. Ones that use big survival knives and ones that uses axes. You may have them both but generally prefer one. I am a big survival knife guy. I’ve never cared much for axes. I’ve used a few and will use one often in the future. In fact I just bought my first axe. It will not be going out camping with me ever. I prefer to use big survival knives to process wood. Let me share some of the reasons why with you.
Big Survival Knives
To me eight inches long is the shortest a big survival knife can be. My prefered knife, the Buck Hoodlum, is 15 1/2 inches long. I have split some big pieces of wood with it. Where most knives would nothing hanging out of the wood to baton the hoodlum is long enough. Batoning wood is my prefered method in the woods. I feel it is more accurate and safe. Big survival knives can do so much more than baton though. You can use is for chopping tasks. You can prepare food with it. Process game. Carving tasks can be done easily. To me in a camping and bug out situation a big knife wins every time
Safety
I’m accident prone. In the extreme. Maybe it’s my disregard for most safety precautions or my left handedness. We lefties are more accident prone than you righties. Luckily axes are ambidextrous. They are still pretty dangerous. When I was young I had a neighbor bury his axe in his knee. Being either tough as nails or drunk as shit he drove himself to the hospital. Batoning wood is much more controlled. I’ve never felt like I was in danger from my knife. I feel like a sense of danger ever time I swing an axe. I never want to lose that feeling either. The axe deserves respect.
Weight
My knife weighs less than a pound. 14.6 ounces. When you are packing in your gear ounces matter. Axes weigh in at many pounds. The weight to usefulness ratio on them is great. Even when I paid my big survival knives with a smaller companion one the weight is still small. For any condition where I’m on foot I choose a knife. An axe is best left at home for splitting wood.
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Even though it isn’t big enough for you, my preferred survival knife is the glock field knife. You can still baton with them, granted it will be smaller diameter peices. They are very tough, proven by the fact at least six military forces around the world issue them. They are also low cost, around $30usd. The cost may have something to do with them being issued, but first world militarys could certainly afford more expensive knives if they chose to. If I absolutely had to go with a really big blade, I really like the old issued gurkha kukris from Nepal. Just be careful getting one of those as there is alot of fakes and touist knives sold as the real deal.
I usually carry two one big and one small knife. So the glock might fit the small role. I’ve looked at the kukris and want to get one eventually
I have an original Tops Hoodlum and a Busse “E” Battle Mistress. Because my Hoodlum is lighter, its my primary back-country tool.
I was backpacking for 5 days with a Skookum Bush Tool knife and my Hoodlum. I purposely left my Swiss Army knife at home. I hardly used my prybar with an edge SBT! The Hoodlum did everything I needed!
Here’s my Busse and a little back-up blade if da link works!
http://s166.photobucket.com/user/sullron1/media/P1000484.jpg.html
Here’s my Hoodlum and Skookum Bush Tool. The SBT was only backordered for a year when I got it.
http://s71.photobucket.com/user/ridgerover/media/P1010641.jpg.html
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